Coconut Milk Yogurt

I am going to try to keep this short and sweet today:) I have another HUGE cleaning day ahead of me. It has been another really hard work week and I’ll be SO glad when today is over. Tomorrow, I am going to the pool and vegging out!!

I wanted to share the recipe I use to make coconut milk yogurt. I’m not even sure where exactly I found this recipe–somewhere online.

First of all, let me tell you that cheaper is NOT always better! The coconut milk I got at the Asain Market (the Renuka) for so much cheaper–not so good. It was pretty watery and it had kind of a grayish tint to it. I read in my coconut oil book that milk that color was not made with the best and freshest coconuts. Basically, it’s made with the coconuts that are left after all the best are picked over. Eeeww! I have tried several different brands of coconut milk and the THAI brand is the best. I have also found that the full fat stuff works the best. I tried the light when I was having a temporary relapse in my fear of fat:) Didn’t taste bad–just much runnier. Coconut milk yogurt will always be pretty runny though. I mostly use it for smoothies or over frozen fruit. Yummy!To make the yogurt you will need three cans of good coconut milk (aka. not the cheap stuff:) I can only use two cans because my yogurt maker won’t hold a jar big enough for three. Anyway, warm your milk to about 125 degrees. I don’t really worry too much about getting it that hot. As long as it’s at least 100 degrees, you will be fine. If you do get it to 125, you need to let it cool to about 100 before adding in your starter. If your milk is too hot, it will kill your starter and then your yogurt would be lacking in good bacteria.

Next, you need to add 1-2Tbs. of honey. This is to give the good bacteria something to ‘feed’ on. If you forget to do this–well, you won’t have yogurt!

After the milk is cooled enough, take out about 1/2 cup and place in a small bowl. To that, add 1/4 cup good quality yogurt. Something like Dannon all natural plain unsweetened is good. Mix the ’starter’ yogurt into the 1/2 cup coconut milk. Then you can pour this back into the rest of your coconut milk. Stir a little and you are ready to pour into your jar. Make sure the jar is sterile.

You are now ready to place the yogurt into the yogurt maker.

Having a yogurt maker is by far the easiest way to ferment the yogurt, but you can do it without one. I have read that a lot of people place it in their oven and leave the light on. I have also used a dehydrator before when I was making a lot of yogurt at one time. I was on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for a while and was making 4 quarts at a time like that. The main goal is to keep the yogurt between 100-110 degrees for 24-26 hours.

After 24-26 hours, place the yogurt in the fridge for a good while. I usually do it to where mine is ready to go in the fridge before bed and let it chill overnight. Making yogurt is NOT hard. You just really have to make sure the temp. is kept in right range.

Gotta run now:) Hope everyone has a fabulous day!!!!

“For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all he does.” Psalm 33:4